Amendments to the Institut Pasteur's articles of association: report on the general staff meeting

On June 3, on the initiative of Christian Vigouroux, Chairman of the Institut Pasteur Board of Directors, and the members of the Board, a general staff meeting was held about the Institut Pasteur's articles of association.

The aim of the meeting, open to all staff online via the application Teams, was to present and explain the proposed amendment to the Institut Pasteur's articles of association on three points concerning the President, the Scientific Council and the financial provisions. The amendment was unanimously adopted by the Board on February 28, 2020. It will be submitted for the approval of the Institut Pasteur General Meeting board at its session on June 22.

As he introduced the meeting, Christian Vigouroux said that one of the strengths that characterizes the Institut Pasteur is its willingness to "make changes that reflect its openness to the world." He then presented the principles and reasons behind the adaptation of the articles of association, emphasizing that it was not a major reform. The Chairman of the Board explained that the amendment was being proposed in response to several needs and objectives:

• in line with the recommendations of the recent Search Committee, it gives the President more time to carry out his/her work,

• it enables the Scientific Council to draw on a broader wealth of experience from a variety of backgrounds by appointing more external members,

• it consolidates the overhaul of the Institut Pasteur's financial provisions.

Christian Vigouroux also outlined the method and timetable for this adaptation of the articles of association. He presented the various key dates in the process, starting back on February 3, 2020, the date on which the format of the proposal was decided, continuing through June 22, when it will be put to the General Meeting board for adoption, and concluding with its subsequent approval by the French Ministry of the Interior and Council of State before the end of 2020.

Christian Vigouroux then explained the provisions related to the President of the Institut Pasteur, namely the extension of the length of the President's term, renewal of the term and the age limit.

The two Vice-Chairmen of the Board of Directors, Artur Scherf and Hubert du Mesnil, then spoke respectively about the changes related to the Scientific Council and the overhaul of the financial provisions.

Artur Scherf explained the need to increase the number of external members of the Scientific Council to be able to draw on a wider pool of experience, "offer a more international vision and prevent any risk of conflict of interest." The reform provides for 10 external members and 6 internal members, with 2 appointed internal members and 4 elected internal members.

With regard to the financial provisions, Hubert du Mesnil presented the plan to expressly provide for an endowment in the articles of association that will serve as a solid financial base, a guarantee of the Institut Pasteur's financial strength and long-term development, and will contribute to funding its work. He also explained the proposal to remove provisions in the current articles of association that have become obsolete or irrelevant. The aim of this point is to ensure that the statutory provisions comply with accounting and financial regulations. As Hubert du Mesnil explained, "financial issues are an integral part of the Institut Pasteur."

At the end of the presentation, a question and answer session was held. This gave rise to many questions and was an opportunity to provide Institut Pasteur staff with constructive information to help them understand the changes and what they mean in practice.

By way of conclusion to the meeting, attended by more than 300 of you, Christian Vigouroux reiterated that for the past three years, the Board of Directors has focused on supporting the Institut Pasteur's long-term future and success, and that it is committed to "taking bold, courageous measures to support research programs." He also made a point of thanking the senior management team, the members of the Senior Management Board and the staff of the Institut Pasteur for the quality of their work to help tackle COVID-19 and for the continuation of research despite the current difficult circumstances.
 

Watch the meeting of June 3, 2020 in video format in French (due to technical issues, the start of the video could not be broadcast)

The final document on the adaptation of the articles of association will be made available to all staff following the session of the Institut Pasteur General Meeting board on June 22.

Documents and presentations for internal use only